Quodrak Verros
| birthday = 6 October | age = 33 (Physical) 103 (Actual) | gender = Male | height = 207 cm (6'9") | weight = 70 kg (155 lb.) | affiliation = Wandenreich | previous affiliation = 's Arrancar Army | occupation = Soldat | previous occupation = Arrancar #86 | team = | previous team = | partner = | previous partner = | base of operations = Wandenreich HQ | resurrección = Araña | story debut = | roleplay debut = Balance of Souls: Relapse | japanese voice = | english voice = }} '''Quodrak Verros (クォドラック・ベロス, Kuodorakku Berosu) is a male . Formerly a and a rank and file member of 's Arrancar Army, he now serves as a Soldat of the Wandenreich. Appearance Quodrak is an exceptionally tall and lean Caucasian male seemingly in his early 30s. While clearly human-like in stature, there is a number of distinct traits that together contribute to his somewhat extraordinary appearance, stemming likely from his status as a low-rank Arrancar. He is unhealthily thin and frail-looking considering his height, and what little body he has consists mostly of sinewy muscles. More importantly, though, his limbs are grossly out of proportion with the rest of his body, elongated to the point that they look almost like stilts. In addition, he possesses : both of his hands exhibit one supernumerary, completely functional finger each. His short, ash blond hair are styled in a flattop, a type of crew cut where the hair on the top of the head is graduated in length from the front hairline back through the crown, forming a flat deck. The hair on the sides and the back of his head is tapered short. The haircut is slightly unkempt, as several loose strands of hair usually hang above his high, prominent forehead. The hairline is somewhat receded, displaying the initial stages of a widow's peak. The features of Verros' face are sharp and slightly disproportionate, giving off a feeling of discomfort that is difficult to describe by most of the potential observers. He has a smooth forehead, prominent supraorbital ridges with no eyebrows to speak of, high, protruding cheekbones and a wide, rather squarish jaw. The eyes are relatively large, uniformly pitch black and glossy. His nose is quite large and aquiline, and there is a small mole located on his left cheek. His mouth is unnervingly wide, with rows of pearl white, square teeth hidden behind thin and almost scar-like lips usually extended in a disturbing absent-minded smile. The remnants of his Hollow mask are two mandible-like bone structures framing his face and protruding forward. On the other hand, the location of his Hollow hole is currently unknown. Quodrak's typical clothing consists of an altered standard issue uniform and a cap given by Wandenreich to their Soldaten. The only official modification includes a number of changes to its dimensions in order to accomodate the Arrancar's uncommon figure. However, Verros himself has made a couple of minor alterations on his own. He tends to wear a pair of sunglasses rather than the common goggles at virtually all times to conceal his eyes, and keeps the collar of his very long trenchcoat upward. In addition, he usually dons a pair of white gloves with only five fingers each, and a silver necklace with a weird, spiral-like trinket attached to the chain. Personality In short, Quodrak might be summed up as a very peculiar person. He is a secretive, socially awkward man who seems to actively avoid the company of others. Taciturn, he speaks very rarely of his own volition, and whenever addressed directly responds in an informative, but succint, austere even, manner. Generally, he treats his Quincy superiors and peers in a gentle, polite and respectful way. He does not question orders and skillfully stays clear from expressions and situations that could potentially cause a conflict. In spite of his unusual visage, he is quite adept at avoiding excessive attention, but every time he is drawn into a conversation, he has little trouble withdrawing unnoticed at the closest opportunity. Whilst unwilling to spend time with the Quincy when he has choice, he seems to hang around the few remaining Arrancar in their ranks most of the time. Even though he seldom joins them in their activities, he may be sometimes seen watching or following them at a safe distance, at least when he lets himself be seen. Verros tends to stay at the sidelines of any significant events. He much prefers to observe things rather than participate actively, allowing him to react in the most logical and efficient manner possible when necessary. He is an expert onlooker and infiltrator, since he is capable of entering normally inaccessible places with little difficulty and no consequences despite his low-level clearance. He traverses the spacious rooms and halls of the Wandenreich Headquarters with a swift, shuffling gait, sticking to badly-lit corners and often disappearing in shadowed places only to reemerge elsewhere without a warning. His constant wide and absent-minded smile is rather off-putting to most, and helps him discourage people from approaching him. When someone keeps staring at him for a while, he habitually feigns ignorance only to suddenly turn to the individual with an unnerving grin outstretched on his peculiar face. From time to time wrinkles apear on his high forehead, indicating some sort of deep deliberation which topics he does not reveal to anyone, even his Arrancar brethren. Quodrak does not talk about himself and is prone to swiftly changing the subject when questioned about personal matters. During the rare occasions he is directly engaged in a prolonged conversation, some of his other, typically hidden traits might emerge. In fact, he is a smug and cynical person with a sour sense of humour. Deceptive and manipulative, he deliberately maintains his somewhat unassuming image in order to facilitate his scheming. Unknown to most of his comrades and especially superiors, he is extremely ambitious and plans to gradually increase both his power and status. He acts in a stealthy, very careful manner and frequently achieves his goals under the pretense of loyally serving the Wandenreich. The truth is, he does not respect any authority but his own, but acts the way he does in order to escape notice. Those few who have managed to expose his true motifs, one way or another, all disappeared under unclear circumstances shortly afterward, keeping his schemes secret for the time being. Amongst the plethora of more or less ordinary personality traits and habits, Verros has a distinct speech quirk: he tends to end most of his utterances with a quick "tsk-tsk", followed by what appears to be an involuntary twitch of the right eye. The habit may not show up when he speaks only one word or sometimes even a full sentence, but otherwise persists throughout extended conversations as well. While bewildering to his interlocutors, Quodrak himself is ostensibly unaware of the quirk and refuses to speak about it when questioned. History Like most Hollows, the entity who would one day become Quodrak Verros, an Arrancar, began its existence as a Human. The Human, whose original name remains unknown, was born and lived in a big city in the in the early . As the single child of an attractive housewife and an affluent man identifying himself as a businessman, he had a rather happy childhood. Spoilt, but also thoroughly educated by his parents, he was being gradually prepared to help and work with his father. Once he became a young adult, the truth of his father's business was revealed to him: in fact, his parent was a local boss. Having matured at the onset of the , the Human found himself in an environment where organised crime flourished. However, rather than help his father directly with maintaining the alcohol smuggling business, he lent a hand in securing it instead. As the father had found out that despite his unusual stature and height his son was an extremely skilled fighter and infiltrator, he hired him as an assassin. Whenever some trouble arose, whether it be righteous politicians, police or competing criminals, the Human intervened and eliminated the threat with cold efficiency. His father's syndicate thrived for much of the period, partly thanks to his son's repeated efforts at protecting it from outside influence. Nevertheless, the world of organised crime was a very dangerous and unpredictable one, as the Human eventually learnt the hard way. One day in the early 1930s a powerful rival gang decided to terminate his father's organisation once and for all. Surprised and overwhelmed after many years of successfully doing the same to others, the entire syndicate was wiped out during one large action. Having found his parents, friends and coworkers dead after returning from an assassination, the Human attempted to avenge them, killing many of the attackers as a result. However, he was but a Human, and his rampage of revenge was cut short when he was caught off guard in a room and shot to death by several criminals, abruptly ending his life. Embittered by the way his promising, but short life had been taken, the Human's Soul clung to the place for a time, unable to reconcile with its fate. Due to the numerous heinous crimes it had committed and the accumulation of negative emotions, the Soul finally became warped and twisted into a Hollow. With most of its intellect and identity gone upon the transformation, the newborn Hollow proceeded to hunt Human Souls to satiate its mindless appetite, through sheer chance or latent memories starting with the families of the criminals that had killed him and his family. Now a spider-like spiritual entity, the Hollow was a slow, patient hunter. Unwilling to spend too much time in the highly dangerous realm of , it gradually fed and grew stronger whilst remaining in the World of the Living for the most part. However, memories began returning after a while, springing back to life the Hollow's former ambitions and lust for power. As such, it eventually came to Hueco Mundo in search of more nutritious prey. Unfortunately, at least in the short term, the entity found itself quickly overwhelmed by swarms of other low-rank Hollows. Lost in a vicious, cannibalistic combat, it became a part of a newly born . The Hollow had been initially lost in the tempest of maddened, half-savage Souls, but the drive to power and highly developed sense of individuality allowed it to resurface and take control of the amalgamate being. Acting on pure instinct, the Gillian began attacking its mindless brethren and continued to grow, slowly, but surely. In the end, the Gillian was able to evolve into an arachnid . The entity recovered most of its identity and mental faculties at that stage, for the first time identifying itself as Quodrak Verros. For a short time it hunted other Hollows, utilising its wit and Reishi Webs to defeat the many stronger beings it came across. Then, Verros was approached during a "mass recruitment" for 's Arrancar Army. Sensing the opportunity to develop at an accelerated rate, Quodrak accepted, and was accepted himself on the basis of his untapped potential. Whereas he became much stronger after the conversion into an Arrancar, Verros failed to turn out into a powerful warrior Aizen sought, and ended up as a rank and file member of the . Due to his late appearance, he was not appointed a and remained away from the major events of the war between the Arrancar and Shinigami, partially thanks to his own efforts to do so. He survived the destruction of Aizen's organisation and hid in Hueco Mundo with the rest of the survivors. Over a year later the group was approached by the Wandenreich, a powerful military organisation of the Quincy. Many of the Arrancar were outright killed for their uselessness, but Quodrak managed to convince the Quincy to recruit him as a lowly soldier. Seeing a new opportunity to pursue his goal, Verros happily joined the Soldaten, beginning his scheming anew. Plot Bleach: Equilibrium The Balance of Souls Arc Relapse The invasion of Balancers of Souls on the Quincy-controlled escalates. The assault on the 45th Northern District of the , Kyōkai, is led by the Interdiction Corps Colonel Ksenija Gregorovich. The Balancer faces and pushes back a Wandenreich Arrancar, who evetually lures her inside a large, dark warehouse. Once there, the entrance to the warehouse is plugged. The Arrancar claims that there is someone to whom he would like to introduce Ksenija, at which point a Reishi web plunges at her from behind. She is able to react just in time, but the unnamed Arrancar departs and leaves her alone with Quodrak Verros, who is lurking in the shadows. Verros leaps at her from behind, intending to impale her swiftly with both of his s held in reverse grip. However, Gregorovich dodges without much effort and inquires about the Arrancar's identity. Quodrak observes her silently for a short while and then sinks into the darkness behind him. He relocates himself unnoticed and waits some time before he unleashes a barrage of blasts from the shadows. Ksenija evades most of them, with only a single one slightly damaging her uniform. She moves fast to intercept Verros now that she knows his position, but it turns out he has already vanished. Meanwhile, Quodrak keeps hiding. He is dismayed by the disparity of power levels between him and Gregorovich, since he has hoped to feast upon some small fry before engaging stronger enemies. To cap it all, the Colonel displays astonishing reflexes and reacts swiftly to the ambush attacks, virtually nullifying his preferred fighting style. Still, he decides to keep on trying, for the amount of Reiryoku he could obtain from her is tempting. He theorises that the Balancer might sense his Reiatsu when he is performing an attack, in spite of his efforts to suppress it. As such, he picks up a medium-sized box and tosses it at her. She still manages to defend herself, but her reaction is noticeably delayed, proving Verros's theory right. He decides to continue with this approach and throws a wooden crate at the opponent''Balance of Souls, ''Relapse, Part 3. Deterioration The attack connects, but understandably does not inflict any damage. Gregorovich decides to counter Quodrak's stealthy approach with the release of her Jiūkǔndao's powers, summoning a swarm of small insects. Verros watches her attentively from a safe place as he prepares for another strike. Then, he lifts a heavy container and hurls it at his opponent. The bugs spawned by Ksenija's blade intercept the container and proceed to quickly devour it, protecting her. However, Quodrak uses this opportunity to charge a . Despite the distraction the Balancer still manages to evade the beam, though the ensuing explosion causes the floor to collapse. Gregorovich falls to the lower level of the warehouse together with the swarm of bugs. Verros decides to follow. With his twin katana drawn, he jumps down and assumes an awkward fighting stance. Ksenija fires an Ice-typo Kadō from the darkness. However, Quodrak is able to dodge thanks to his heightened reflexes and enhanced spiritual awareness. Coiling around the spear of ice, the Arrancar immediately plunges at the Balancer, his blades ready to strike vital spots. Unfortunately, the swarm of insects impedes his charge, forcing him to retreat hastily. Verros mutters an insult in the aftermath. In spite of her extremely passive behaviour, Gregorovich muses aloud how much longer will the fight last before one of the combatants becomes exhausted. Quodrak does not respond, lost in thought. Frustrated because of being forced to fight the kind of battle he dislikes he nonetheless continues, still tempted by the amount of spiritual energy he could potentially absorb. Suddenly, he shoots a Reishi Web at the swarm of bugs, temporarily trapping them. Whilst the insects are struggling to free themselves, he succeeds to syphon a small amount of power before being attacked directly by Gregorovich. The Balancer gets past his defence and nearly cuts off his right hand. However, Verros retreats with the use of in the nick of time. The Arrancar launches an abrupt counter offence, swinging both of his blades with respectable speed. Due to the awkward stance she has assumed as a result of her previous manoeuvre, Gregorovich is unable to defend herself completely and sustains a light injury. Her insects at last escape the Reishi Web in the meantime. Thus, Quodrak fires two Bala blasts at the ceiling to cause a shroud of dust to conceal his next move. Then, he jumps at the ceiling and employs his Wall-Walking ability to close the distance to the enemy and attack from an unexpected angle, intent on decapitating her. Gregorovich blocks the clever attack, though with a small cut on her cheek. She uses her insects to strike back, the swarm catching up with the Arrancar. Verros frantically swats the bugs away and retreats quickly. Even though his protects him, he still has sustained extensive, if superficial damage. In the end Quodrak concludes that to have any chance to win this battle, he has to make use of every asset at his disposal. With this decision he at last introduces himself to the Balancer. Right afterward, he assumes a special stance and activates his Balance of Souls, Deterioration, Part 4. Ruination Powers and Abilities Trivia *While Quodrak's name sounds consistent with the canon Arrancar theme, it does not have any hidden meaning and has been actually ported from a character from one of the creator's original fiction stories. *His disproportional silhouette and other unsettling characteristics were acquired only after his conversion from Hollow to Arrancar. However, the ulnar polydactyly and unusual height (albeit not that great) are traits he had possessed as a Human. *LordGalvatron chose to develop Quodrak in order to not only create another Arrancar character, Tinieblas being the one and only such a character beforehand, but also to attempt to properly flesh out someone who is effectively a minor character with an unimpressive amount of power when compared to the typical protagonist. However, he has a substantial potential to grow. *Verros was originally planned to start out as a 4th Seat Officer-level combatant, but he was upgraded to Lieutenant-level after being paired with Balancer Colonel Ksenija Gregorovich for his first fight. Appearances Bleach: Equilibrium The Balance of Souls Arc *Balance of Souls: Relapse'' *''Balance of Souls: Deterioration'' *''Balance of Souls: Ruination'' References Category:Arrancar Category:Character Category:Expert Swordsmen Category:Male Category:Quincy Category:Soldat Category:Sonído Experts